EnZo trapper help??

U

unfortunatesmith

Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
27
Hey guys, I am considering ordering an EnZo Trapper blank from Bensbackwoods.com, but the problem is, I really want to fasten the handle with Loveless style bolts (Aka how Adventuresworn handles are fastened) the problem is, I dont know if any of the loveless bolts you can buy at major knifemaking supply places like usaknifemaker.com will fit the holes, and I cant seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. does anyone here know or will i have to settle with normal Corby bolts? Also i plan on using one of these three slabs for the handles, do you guys like them?
link
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STABILIZED-BOX-ELDER-BURL-716-CUSTOM-KNIFE-PISTOL-HANDLE-CRAFTWOOD-BLOCK-/161008058686?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D15053%26meid%3D6988801134105124409%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1125%26rk%3D3%26sd%3D140955599808%26
http://www.ebay.com/itm/STABILIZED-BOX-ELDER-BURL-748-CUSTOM-KNIFE-PISTOL-HANDLE-CRAFTWOOD-BLOCK-/161008100929?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D15053%26meid%3D6988829581352075314%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D1125%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D161008058686%26
 
Thats the thing, I can widen them, but i cant make them smaller. I seem to remember reading that the holes were 5/16 and i cant find loveless bigger than 1/4 for the screw part.
 
Will you be using epoxy as well as the bolts? If so, I think a slightly larger hole should not matter - this will give a place for the epoxy to fill which will create a stronger bond. Let someone more experienced confirm this though.
 
5/16 tang holes are what you want for 1/4" shaft Corby/Loveless bolts. The epoxy fills the gap, and the gap allows some adjustment and compensates for slight errors in drilling. The gap is only .030"....the thickness of two business cards...not much at all.
 
Can anybody with a Trapper blank chime in and clear this up?

I haven't made my Trapper yet - it just shipped today. Also didn't get it from Ben's.
However, if I'm reading it correctly on Thompson's site, the Lanyard hole is just over 1/4" (6.4mm = .252), but the mounting holes in the tang are:
2x 4.1mm = .161" (Bolster area, I believe)
3x 4.65mm = .183" (inline, for corbys)
4x 3.1mm = .122" (in a sqaure, for small pins)

5/16 = .3125 ~ 7.9mm. I don't see any holes that size.
If they are, I guess I'm going to need to find some new hardware...

I also read that most of the holes come slightly undersize. A guy that did a bunch of these a few years ago would hone 'em out with a chainsaw-sharpening stone. Said he kept ruining new bits trying to drill 'em out.
 
I just put scales on a Trapper. I used 3/16" pivot bolts instead of Corbys - and the 0.1830" holes were close, but tight for the 0.1875" pivot bolts. I used a 0.1890" carbide reamer to open up the hole slightly and it worked fine. You really don't have to remove that much metal - and you could probably do it with a small diamond file if you don't have a reamer. However, I would not advise trying to use a regular 3/16" drill bit to open up the holes, as it will bind up against the hardened tang and cause issues...

Good luck!

TedP
 
phillipsted said:
I just put scales on a Trapper. I used 3/16" pivot bolts instead of Corbys - and the 0.1830" holes were close, but tight for the 0.1875" pivot bolts. I used a 0.1890" carbide reamer to open up the hole slightly and it worked fine. You really don't have to remove that much metal - and you could probably do it with a small diamond file if you don't have a reamer. However, I would not advise trying to use a regular 3/16" drill bit to open up the holes, as it will bind up against the hardened tang and cause issues...

Good luck!

TedP
Click to expand...

Thank you, Ted.
Any pics of your Trapper yet? I saw a thread where you said you'd post 'em, but couldn't find them anywhere.
If mine comes out decently, I'll put it up - but that's probably still a month or two away for me.
 
tjswarbrick said:
Thank you, Ted.
Any pics of your Trapper yet? I saw a thread where you said you'd post 'em, but couldn't find them anywhere.
If mine comes out decently, I'll put it up - but that's probably still a month or two away for me.
Click to expand...

:)

I decided I wanted to polish out the bevel before I shot pictures of it - and I just haven't had enough time to get it finished. I'll try and get a couple of snaps this weekend and post them. As long as you guys don't laugh at the remnants of the grind marks on my bevel!

For those of you who didn't read the earlier thread, I made a triple-layer laminate for the scale. The liner is 1/16" red G10, in the middle is a 1/8" piece of moonglow, and the outer layer is 1/8" transluscent jade green G10. The G10 helps protect the moonglow, which tends to be soft and scratches easily.

TedP
 
phillipsted said:
:)

I decided I wanted to polish out the bevel before I shot pictures of it - and I just haven't had enough time to get it finished. I'll try and get a couple of snaps this weekend and post them. As long as you guys don't laugh at the remnants of the grind marks on my bevel!

TedP
Click to expand...

I promise not to laugh.
It sounds awesome.

The last of the hardware to assemble my Trapper came in today. I hope to get started shaping the scales this weekend, but I know this is going to take some time.

Back to the OP, I did measure the holes I'm going to use:
Lanyard hole was .252 from one side; .248 from the other. Ran a .254" tapered honing stone through it for clearance and evenness.
forwardmost and most rearward bolt holes were .184. Ran a .188" stone through those just to clear the bit I'll use to drill into the wood. I think they would've been just fine for my corbys.
Lower front pin hole is .123. Not quite sure what I'm going to do there if my mosaic pin doesn't fit. I don't want to buy a reamer for one little hole, and I haven't been able to locate an 1/8" stone for my dremel or drill. But I'm sure I'll figure something out.
 
Ok, I snapped some pics of my D2 Enzo Trapper today. Sorry for the crappy quality, all I had was my webcam. This Enzo became a user as soon as I finished it up - so I never got back to polish out all the grind marks from the original bevel. Oh well. The next time I bring it in for sharpening, I'll polish those out.

Here are the statistics:
- Triple-layer laminate for the scale, held together with West System epoxy.
- Liner is 1/16" red G10
- In the middle is a 1/8" piece of moonglow
- Outer layer is 1/8" translucent jade green G10. The G10 helps protect the moonglow, which tends to be soft and scratches easily.
- Reamed out tang holes to 0.1890" (#12) and fit the scales with two 3/16" pivot bolts. It is a knock-down, so I did not use epoxy on the tang to mount the scales.
- To make the scales more stable, I used small bearing-race washers underneath the pivot bolt head. They sits tightly in each 0.250" counterbore hole. These washers are from Amazon Supply.

I didn't include it in the picture, but I'm using the standard Enzo trapper sheath for carry. I also need to get some low-light shots to capture the moon-glow. Really useful at camp in the evening...

TedP





 
That's very nice, Ted.
Except for the last shot, it's really hard to tell where the mooglow ends and the jade G10 begins.
I'd like to see it glow!

I hope I can get my wood/copper/G10 scales to come out as smoothly, but I keep burning through abrasives so I'm not sure I'll ever get it done. The epoxy set last night, so we'll see what tools I can break this weekend finishing it up...
 
As you can see, my scales extended past the matte finished area, so I didn't have any such concerns. Though I did polish up the spine, between the scales, pretty nicely.
I think it's just rough-finished post heat-treatment. No idea how they do it.
Perhaps coarse sandpaper, or PCB etchant could be used to simulate it?

Here are a couple more shots - I just finished the matching firesteel.



 
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